Giants, Songs and Red, Red Rocks

We were gifted two bright, luminous November days for our workshops with the children of Bunessan and Iona Primary Schools. Alongside Dr Alasdair Whyte of Glasgow University, we listened for the stories held in the colours, place names and shorelines of the Ross of Mull, Iona and the neighbouring islands of Staffa, Ulva and Tiree - islands shaped by fire, tide and time.

The children responded by exploring their own island stories, colours and place names through creative mapmaking, sharing their knowledge and special places around their coastlines and homes.

Each child selected a “friendship pebble” to share with a child in Svalbard - a pebble that fitted perfectly in their hands, offered as a “pebble handshake” across the ocean.

The project was also introduced to the wider community at a weekend gathering in Iona Village Hall. The afternoon began with a short film tracing Svalbard’s icy landscapes and layered social and cultural histories, followed by presentations from both artists sharing the ideas shaping the project - with time for questions and conversation over shortbread polar bears and a cuppa.